The present invention relates to an image transmission apparatus which can be suitably applied to a facsimile apparatus having a transmission destination identification function capable of automatically detecting a transmission destination and transmitting an original.
An image transmission apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus having a transmission destination identification function capable of automatically detecting a transmission destination, changing connection of a telephone line, and transmitting an original to each destination has been developed.
In order to identify a transmission destination to change the transmission destination line, such a facsimile apparatus uses an identification sheet on which information of, e.g., a transmission destination is recorded.
Before an original is transmitted information of the identification sheet is read out to execute processing corresponding to the information, and then the original is transmitted.
The identification sheet is a sheet of paper of about an A4 size as an identification sheet in which a sheet identifying means such as an identification mark is formed and various pieces of information as described above are recorded. The recorded pieces of information are normally, optically read out.
Such an identification sheet can be used as follows. That is, when another person uses a facsimile apparatus to transmit an original, an operator records a transmission destination of his or her original on an identification sheet, places the identification sheet on the original during transmission of another person, and then places his or her original thereon. In this manner, the original of the operator can be automatically transmitted after the original of the person in the previous transmission is transmitted. In this case, an operation can be conveniently performed before previous communication is completed.
In order to realize such a method of using the identification sheet in a facsimile apparatus, even if communication to a current transmission destination is not successful, all transmission originals to the current communication destination must be discharged from an original table to detect an identification sheet and an original to the next destination which may be present thereon.
In this case, it should be noted that also originals which are not successfully transmitted must be discharged from an original table as those successfully transmitted. For example, these nontransmitted originals must be saved in a memory so that they can be easily retransmitted later. In addition, it is preferable to provide a means for easily determining originals to be retransmitted. For this reason, in a facsimile apparatus which uses an identification sheet and therefore can automatically transmit an original without an operator, it is very convenient to provide a means for checking transmitted originals.
This is because whether originals to be transmitted are normally transmitted or not transmitted due to, e.g., trouble on a communication line or misfeeding of the originals can be checked very effectively by such a checking means.
As a means for checking transmitted originals, a completion stamp is impressed.
This completion stamp is impressed at an end of an original when the original is normally transmitted and a signal (MCF signal) is responded from a transmission destination.
In some facsimile apparatuses having a transmission destination identification function, a memory means having a predetermined capacity is incorporated therein so that an image signal read from an original is stored in the memory means.
This memory means enables simultaneous communication and delay communication of an original.
Simultaneous communication is a communication system in which an image signal of an original is transmitted to a destination using a communication line while the original is read. Delay communication is a communication system in which image information of an original is written in a memory means and then read out therefrom at a proper timing to be transmitted using a communication line.
In this delay communication, an image signal is written in a memory if a communication line is busy, and an operator can transmit the stored image signal later.
In conventional apparatuses, however, image information of an original is not transmitted when it is stored in a memory in such delay communication, and therefore a completion stamp is not impressed thereon. Therefore, if an operator is away from an operating facsimile apparatus after setting an automatic transmission mode and then returns to the facsimile apparatus, he or she cannot know whether an original not having a completion stamp thereon is the one not transmitted due to trouble on a communication line or misfeeding of the original or the one not transmitted because the line is busy although it is stored in a memory. Therefore, the operator cannot determine which original is to be transmitted in delay communication.
A completion stamp may be impressed when image information is stored in a memory as it is transmitted. Also in this case, however, an operator cannot determine whether an original is already transmitted or only stored in the memory.